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Missing Schoolboys: Parents, Relatives Stage Protest As 333 Students Still Missing

Some parents and residents of Kankara, Katsina State, on Sunday staged a protest after about 333 school boys remained missing since Friday night after bandits abducted students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara.

The protest which was a demand for quick rescue of school boys was led by a woman who claimed to be a mother of one of the students.

The protesters chanted, “parents are crying, we want justice, Kankara is bleeding.” Others who marched behind her carried placards with different inscriptions such as “lack of security,” “we want our children back,” among others.

The protesters, mostly young women and men, went round the school premises and many parts of Kankara town.

Aminu Bello Masari, the Governor of Katsina State had earlier said that 333 students of the school were missing following the attack.

Masari told a delegation of the Federal Government led by Babagana Monguno, the National Security Adviser on Sunday that the government was searching for 333 students.

He said troops and search teams were combing the forest for more students while parents were also expected to come up if they had not seen their wards to ascertain the actual number of missing students.

“As a government, we are yet to be contacted by any group or person responsible for the kidnap of the students,” the governor said.

Masari said that the school had a population of 839 students.

Meanwhile, the Arewa Youth Consultative Council (AYCC) Katsina State Chapter, has condemned the abduction of the students.

Salisu Faskari, State Coordinator of the council, spoke at an emergency meeting of stakeholders in the state. He described the incident as barbaric and spiritually mischievous which would scare every Nigerian.

Faskari called on the federal and state governments to ensure that the students were rescued immediately, alive and healthy.

He further urged the government to put more effort into ensuring that the lives and properties of the people were secured and also ensure that such an incident did not occur again.